title: Sonographic features of cervical lymph nodes after thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Unlike the preoperative findings in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, the postoperative sonographic features of cervical lymph nodes have not been established. This study aimed to assess the sonographic features of metastatic lymph nodes after thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 104 consecutively registered patients who had undergone thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma and underwent sonographically guided fine-needle aspiration of lymph nodes in the neck. The sonographic features of each lymph node were retrospectively evaluated by a single radiologist. The confirmation methods for the 115 lymph nodes included surgery (n = 35), measurement of thyroglobulin levels in the aspirates (n = 2), malignant cytologic analysis (n = 10), and benign cytologic analysis with sonographic follow-up over 12 months (n = 68). We determined the diagnostic indices of individual sonographic features for differentiating between metastatic and benign lymph nodes by comparing these features with the final diagnoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 104 patients, 67 underwent at least 1 cycle of radioisotope therapy after thyroidectomy. The malignancy rate for the lymph nodes was 42.6% (49 of 115). A significant relationship was found between malignancy and the presence of an intranodal cystic component, intranodal microcalcifications, diffusely increased echogenicity, a microlobulated margin, a round shape, loss of echogenic hila, and mixed or central vascularity on color Doppler sonography (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sonographic features of metastatic cervical lymph nodes in postoperative patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were similar to those in preoperative patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, 633-165 Gaegeum-dong, Busanjin-gu, Busan 614-734, Korea. dwultra@lycos.co.kr
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hye Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Choo
authors.forename: Yoo Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soo Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jae Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.forename: Tae Kwun
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Ha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: lymph node; metastasis; papillary thyroid carcinoma; postoperative; sonography